Exploring Innovative Approaches for Crisis Responsive and Resilient Education System: The Case of the War (November 2020-2022) in Tigray, Ethiopia

Abstract

The multifaceted effects and impacts of armed conflict on the education sector have been insufficiently studied despite their frequent occurrence globally, particularly in relation to both previous and recent conflicts in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. This study aimed to explore innovative approaches for a crisis-responsive and resilient education system in the region, utilizing a concurrent-embedded mixed-method research design that was conducted in 28 primary schools across 8 districts of 5 zones, regional Bureau of Education and 10 education NGOs in the region. Data were collected from 300 respondents selected through probability and purposive sampling methods, and the analysis employed both descriptive and inferential statistical tools, supported by qualitative content analysis. The findings revealed that the war in Tigray had a statistically significant negative effects on the education system, the teaching-learning process, and education agents in the region. The crisis exhibited high levels of exposure, sensitivity, and vulnerability, with precise population mean estimates and strong explanatory power. There was a consistent alignment in the perceptions of respondents, and the severity of the war's effects increased proportionally with the extent of the crisis. To address the immediate effects of the war on education, the study identified statistically significant, innovative crisis-responsive approaches characterized by high availability, accessibility, acceptability, and adaptability. These approaches were shown to increase proportionally with the educational features, based on precise population estimates, respondent consistency, and strong explanatory power. Furthermore, to establish sustainable solutions beyond short-term fixes, the study explored statistically significant crisisresilient strategies that demonstrated strong absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capacities. These strategies also showed proportional growth with an increase in resilience capacities, supported by consistent respondent perceptions, precise statistical estimates, and strong explanatory power. The qualitative data embedded in the research reinforced the quantitative findings, resulting in a comprehensive crisis-response-resilience model for building a resilient education system. Finally, the study offers policymakers, practitioners, and researchers a foundation to further investigate the broader impacts of war on education and to test and validate the proposed crisis-responsive and resilient strategies in real-world contexts.